Will the Internet and Other New Technology Replace the Book as the Chief Tool of Learning? Essay Example

A multiple source essay involves the incorporation of different sources of information to bring a deeper understanding of the concept of concern. In this essay, there is a need to understand if the internet and other new technology can replace books as major learning tools. To come up with broad research that can bring out an answer about the question, three sources will be used in this essay. Steven Johnson's Everything Bad is Good for You, Christine Rosen's People of the Screen and Nicholas Carr's Is Google Making Us Stupid will be the reference source for the whole essay. Although they have different storylines, they will all be related to coming to a common conclusion.

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Steven Jonson, in his book, Everything Bad is Good for You talks about the new world order whereby the internet is taking over every aspect of human life. People have been preoccupied in understanding the new technology ranging from learning how to operate new devices such as computers and even handsets such as smartphones and iPhones (Johnson, 2011). Steven refers to the learning to operate such as the application of cognitive thinking and logic skills. Besides, the emerging technology of iPhone and other digital computers such people no longer lock themselves in houses to watch television. Instead, global communication has become easy whereby one can send an email anywhere in the world, chat, send photos, and even video call a person in another country. Based on these changes, Steven Johnson claims that the new technology has proven to be advantageous to the people since they can share ideas widely through social media.

While supporting the new technology, basically the internet, Steven Johnson raises a debate on whether the new technology has affected the old way of reads using books. According to him, reading has even become wide than it was without the new technology. Although reading books enables a person to develop concentration so as to gain what is in the book, Steven argues that the one-way communication depicted while reading the books makes cumbersome and it is unlikely that the new generation children will learn through the intense reading of books. According to him, the new technology has harnessed learning in a positive way. The two-way communication is one prove. Besides, people apply cognitive skills in reading through emails, chatting on social media, and even planning business activities via the internet.

Following the argument about the effect the new technology has brought on books, it is evident that Steven Johnson supports the idea of the new technology is more futuristic than the old reading style which involved books. As such he is for the idea that the new technology will replace books for learning due to the comfort and efficiency that accompanies it.

On the other hand, Christine in her book, People of the Screen, argues persistently about how people in the current world have open-handedly accepted the screen-based way of reading in compromise of the book technology which has been alive for more than five hundred years. According to her, the embrace that the young generation is giving screen-based learning has nothing to do with modern learning, but it is because they have identified it as an easy way to go the way of reading. She refers to such people as "increasingly distractible, impatient, and convenience-obsessed."

She continues to degrade the current screen-based readers by saying that: "People who regularly read for pleasure are more likely to be employed, and more likely to vote, exercise, visit museums, and volunteer in their communities; in short, they are more engaged citizens." (Rosen, 2011). By saying this, she means that screen-based learning is not suitable and those who embrace it are ruined, and so they cannot be reliable citizens. However, she is challenged by other researchers who do not see the special part of the print that makes is reliable than screen media.

A study done by North Western University sociologists revealed those who use print media most of the time are also the ones who use screen media the most. As such, they concluded that the two reading approaches are not there to compete for each other, but rather to complement each other. Christine Rosen seems to have done a lot of research, especially from those who support the screen media. She protests against those who argue that screen media is meant for strategic reading unlike in books where a person may be mixed up the book gets disoriented. Besides, she argues that computers make students masters to the content; instead of being submissive as it is supposed to be.

Even after taking the time to challenge the supporters of screen media, she agrees that the screen is taking over the print as time goes by. According to her, learners have already taken a taste of new technology, and they will prefer the screen to books. For instance, in the United States, young students spend one-hour reading books barely. They would prefer to get the information as a soft copy so that they can access it through their personal computer. Therefore, the new technology is steady enough to replace books.

Another sensitive reading is Is Google Making Us Stupid by Nicholas Carr. In the reading, Dave narrates about how things have changed within his brain. He used to read books continuously ten years back, but he cannot do it anymore. According to him, the discovery of new technology caused all the mess. He can no longer concentrate on books. Instead, he spends time surfing the internet, browsing, and researching online (Carr, 2011). Dave reports that his friends are facing similar challenges such that the more they use the Web, the more the eagerness to read books decreases. Dave says that" chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation." According to him, the internet is rather gaining from him by taking away his past reading abilities rather than him benefiting from the new technology.

A research done by University College London students showed that students who learned in libraries installed with databases and online journal showed a tendency of skimming articles rather than reading them thoroughly. This research explains more than the recent computer-based technology has corrupted the human mind and destroyed the cognitive pattern such the brain has been conditioned away from print media and also from reading large contents. However, Maryanne Wolf explains that the internet has just contributed to reading in a new in that individual no longer spend to on deep reading to look for answers. Instead, they spearhead by using keywords to go straight to the required content. Besides, they no more use their energy to interpret information since the ability to think deep has reduced.

The writer goes on to describe how the human cognition has been ruined by the internet. He says that the human brain been replaced by the artificial computer-like database. It no longer performs tasks the way it did when computers were nowhere to be seen. Long term use of computer-based devices makes them adapt to the new media and abandon the print media. As such, people start behaving like computer robots duty to overdependence on the devices. Therefore, it is meaningless to accuse the current generation of ignoring the print press, yet their brains were conditioned to the screen media from the time they started using computer appliances. With time, it is likely that there will be no print media in used since all the young generation prefers to use computers.

Conclusion

In the three sources used, debates between print media and screen media have been discussed fairly. Steven Johnson supports the idea of new technology being favorable and reliable, and so it should replace books in learning. Besides, Christine Rosen and Nicholas Carry tend to be against the new technology arguing that it affects human cognition since it demotivates people from learning. However, all writers come to a common conclusion that the internet and other new technology has started replacing the internet. Besides, learners have already embraced the new screen approach of learning and efforts to get away with it will be vulnerable. Therefore, books are likely to lose value even though they have served as sources of knowledge for a long time.

References

Rosen, C.(2011). Writing From Sources, 8th Edition. [VitalSource]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/undefined/

Carr, N. (2011). Writing From Sources, 8th Edition. [VitalSource]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/undefined/

Johnson, S. (2011). Writing From Sources, 8th Edition. [VitalSource]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/undefined/